March Running!
 

Are you kidding me? March already? So it is our favorite thread to track our running progress, commit to our running goals and motivate each other. Newbies and veterans unite - let's run!

As for me I'm 159 miles towards my 1000 mile year goal. I did 4 yesterday, today is ST and yoga so I'll only do a 1 mile warm up before ST. Other than that just plugging along on my fitness goals and settling into maintenance.

Happy running everyone!

I'm beginning the C25k again today - I completed it in 2009, which ended with me running my first (and so far only) 5k. It's time to start again!

I ran 3.1 miles today! :) Probably for the first time in my entire life.

Running out to Marshall's...they're having a great sale on Saucony Running sneakers...$29.99!!!! Woo hoo!!!:D

BACK!!! Bought 2 pair!:carrot: Lovin it!;)

Well... didn't run today... but let me share my goals:

Run/walk a 5k in 45 minutes or less (5k is March 5th... so soon).

Get to the point where I can run at 5mph for 5 minutes straight (after that, 10, then 20, then 40). And that's consistent speed... and then up my speed. So yeah... :)

Right now I ran the equivalent of a 5k around a local middle school 400m track in 46:50. Just need to be a little faster. ;)

hi ...well since i came back from hospital whit my DD I have been doing great,
I did today 3.5 in 34:48 min , on the treadmill.
So this week look like 3.5 , 2 , 3.5 amd 5 for a total of 14 miles.

Great job everyone!

Yoga and ST kicked my a$$ last night, but put in 4 this am. Felt pretty good til I got to the last mile which is all uphill.

Da**it its March already........ S**t...... i gotta quit smoking i guess, and start training by the end of th month...... <sigh> smoking has been my friend this winter.... having gone through awful, awful stressors. oH! broke my foot yesterday... no running/impact for 4 weeks.....

Hills KILL meh!:crazy: Fortunately, my local running trail only has 1 really steep hill..whew!:D

Haven't run outside since November 2010. I'm one of those "weirdo freaks" that actually enjoy running on my treadmill!:p I also equally enjoy running outdoors. I think I'll do both this summer depending on the weather. I live in the South...so our summers are brutal. I will only run outdoors in "IDEAL" weather...no running through blizzards, freezing rain, windstorms, temps below 50 degrees or muggy, hot unbearable days....guess I'm not that die hard. I view running as "fun" and want to keep it that way.:)

Oh yeah...and I only run fast...when I'm being 'chased' by a dude wearing a ski mask!:lol: Nice and easy for me!:D

Ncueno-- whats your new lifting routine?

I just started New Rules of Lifting for Abs! It's awesome. What you'd expect from the NROL series but a little different. I'm taking it way more seriously this time, and running a smidge less (don't start training for my half till summer) so that I can hopefully see some real results. I'm actually lifting heavy and logging to see my progress. I'm really wanting to see some improvement in my core area, got the legs and arms covered, but NROLA is actually total body like the other programs.

I've really felt burnt out on running, and there is nagging pain in my right foot. I chucked my old running sneakers and bought new ones which I want to try out. The last couple times I went out were frustratingly "off" and I'd like to remedy that, but I'm worried my foot will get worse. Not sure what to do...

Hope you feel better, Krampus. Rest may do the trick!
New runners may help also.

mkroyer, sorry to hear you broke your foot. Take care of that so you can run again.

March is here..wohoo! That much closer to spring. This snow and cold weather is getting to me. I can't wait to run on the roads. It has been all treadmill running for me which I don't mind. I ran 2.5 miles on Monday which was the furthest I've run thus far. I am working to the 5km mark, and will then work on increaing my speed which at the moment will make it for a 45 min, 5km run. I'll take that for now! I will run the 5km end of May for the National Capital weekend race in Ottawa.

I'm going to track my progress on this thread all month. I also look forward to seeing how everyone else is doing.

Do you run in the morning/aft/evenings? Do you find it makes a big difference? I usually run inthe morning, but two days ago I ran in the evening and I had way more energy and did a lot better. My schedule usually doesn't permit me to run in the evenings though.

Have a great week, everyone!

I failed miserably in February - got a cold that turned into bronchitis and lasted nearly four weeks. I was just unpleasant to be around. Needless to say, no running happened - not much of anything other than going through a vast amount of Kleenex happened. However - that is behind me and I am determined to get back on track!

I'm run/walking right now, partly to ramp my fitness back up and partly to continue to rehab the knee I had surgery on. My knee actually does a lot better when I work it, so I'm doing my PT exercises, strength training, and gentle running. I have a 5k on March 12, which I'm going to do slowly with a friend who'll be doing his first race - my DH will be running for time so I told him we'll just meet him at the finish. I'm also considering a 10k at the end of May - I figure that's just over 12 weeks, if I can't get from a 5k to a 10k in 12 weeks, I'm really struggling. :)

To answer Jojo - I run in the mornings, usually about 5:30am. It gets hotter than Hades here around April-ish and stays hot through October, so the early mornings are about the only chance I have to run in under 90 degrees. I detest treadmills - I love being outside.

Did 3 miles on Monday and Wednesday.
I have a 10k this Saturday in a VERY hilly area. Should be fun!

The weather is so perfect for running here right now. This is a very small window for good weather. Soon it was blessed hot. Haha, I live in the South.

To answer Jojo--I usually run after work, so evening. I'm use to it. It's good when I have stressful days--I can let it all out so I can relax.

I use to run in the mornings and love running Saturday mornings. It's just a great way to start off the day. I have to drag myself outside to do it, but once I am finally there and then afterward I feel awesome.

Hi All!! I did 2.5 miles today, easy run. Tomorrow is off running and I'll be doing strength training and yoga. Maybe some plyo too if my body says it's down with that- right now I'm tight and about to stretch again before bed. My half is in May so I'm following a training plan for that now. It's my first race (as an adult, I did track as a kid) and I'm saying I want to do 2:00 or better but honestly I would like to do 1:45.

mkroyer that sucks about the foot, hope it heals well and quickly.

ncuneo, I love lifting! How many days per week are you training?

Jojo, I typically run in the mornings, after breakfast if it's a hard run or before breakfast if it's short and I'm in a rush.

I prefer to run outside, but I won't run on the ice due to 4 ankle sprains in the past 2 years. No more injuries for me. I have a treadmill in my basement and watch tv or movies, but I can't wait to get back outside in the fresh air and listen to tunes instead.

I signed up for the Syndey half marathon today. It's on 15th May.

I started training for it a couple of weeks ago, but only registered today.
So basically i'll be running 4x per week instead of the normal 3-ish, and ill be doing some faster sessions (am normally just a lazy runner), and i'm increasing my long run (did 15km yesterday and due for 17 next week).

Target is to beat my pb which is a very modest 2:08 set a couple of years ago (didn't run a HM last year due to ITB then broken foot, then general laziness, then preferring trail running).

Would prefer to run at lunchtimes although obviously the temp has to be right (usually too hot here) and normally i'm working! Evening is probably better than morning for me, but i usually run in the morning, then go to the gym in an evening.

Good to see so many runners this month!!

^That's great for siging up for the half marathon. I'd love to do something like that someday.

Great to hear you are feeling better! I lived in the desert last year, so I know how hot and dusty it can get (and eay to get bronchitis). If you can get to a 10 k from a 5km in 12 weeks, I may join you starting end of May. That's some great motivation right there. :D

Good to see that some of you run at different times of the day that suits your schedule and that you are used to.

I find I don'thave as much energy in the morning like today. I have had horrible indigestion and sore shins from my last run when I did sprints. I could only go 1 mile today and then I did 30 mins on the epiliptical. I have to listen to my body when it says to stop to prevent further injury. I'll wait till I feel better and the legs are less sore to continue.

Happy running, everyone!

Race season is still in full swing here in South Florida. I've got my 3rd half marathon of the year on Sunday in Miami Beach. Well, technically it's my 5th race of the year, if you also include the half and full marathon that makes up the Disney Goofy race-and-a-half challenge.

Now, I'm about ready to sign up for something really certifiably crazy -- a 50K! In like, 3 weeks!! I'm heavy and slow right now, so heck, just go really slow for a very long time and you have an ultramarathon! I haven't really "trained" for anything long-distance since the Disney marathon back in early January, my longest long run has been 14 miles. (But, I've run a half marathon event almost every other week) So I'm going to run back-to-backs this weekend (12 miler on Sat, then the half on Sun), which will goose my endurance training a bit. Not as good as a single long run, but better than nothing. If that feels fine, then I'll go for it ....

See what starting running can do to you -- makes you NUTS! :dizzy:

Morning runner here too - 5am. It's also blazing hot here and I have to do it when the family is asleep in order to fit it in.

River-I lift 2xs a week. It's all the time I have for it, but it does the job.

Eeaked out 5 this morning and I'm hoping for 8-10 Sunday. Have a great weekend everyone.

Wow, it's so cool to hear from so many of you at different stages in your running 'journeys'.

I'm a beginner, doing the C2 5K programme, and loving it! I hope when I'm done running will be something I can keep up at and get better n better. I'm returning home to the UK from Thailand in just over 5 weeks, and can't wait to lose the heat and humidity and gain some scenery and be able to move from indoors to outdoors.

This week I did week three on Mon and today (had a major lapse midweek so only did it twice) today I added an extra 6 minute run to the end. I'm not fast, but I am enjoying building up my stamina.

Will be starting week 4 tomorrow or Sunday, and then continue from there.

My goal for this week is simple, to stick to the plan, and even when the longer runs come up, not to stop, I've gotta believe I can do it, and I will!

MBN - wow! 50km is a seriously long way, and you're not exactly giving yourself much time to prepare!! Sounds like a good plan to do it really slowly - then you have something you can beat the next time!!! Is it a road race or a trail?

Good luck with your back-to-back long runs.

I needed to report my latest running 'find' that is AMAZING: so, in the German town I live in there are SO many runners, and thus many running stores. Now, instead of having to go to a doctor you can get a customized running insole at the store.

I went in because I had a specific problem with my right foot - the arch in particular. After jogging for approx. 55 min., I would ALWAYS feel like my arch was ripping apart with every step. It was SO annoying and painful.

Now, my customized insole has totally solved that problem and has even naturally increased my speed a bit. The good thing is, you buy the sole once, then you can keep getting it re-heated and re-fit if it is not perfect..... I've had to go back once because I had a blister from them.

But, overall I'm totally impressed. I think it is SO amazing how much of a difference the correct shoes make.

I'd call the running store in your area and ask if they have these - its really worth it. Or, if you are a serious runner, then definitely make an appointment with a podiatrist to have insoles fitted. I think, in the long run, your body will thank you.

So I'm going to skip the long run again this week and go hiking instead. It's the last weekend before my DH starts the overnight shift for the season and our last chance to do something active together. It's a nice break though. I've skipped 3 of my last 4 long runs and it's a really really good feeling to see that it hasn't affected the scale that much. I was really starting to feel like if I couldn't maintain a minimum of 20 miles per week and run a minimum of 8-10 miles every Sunday that I'd blow up to 268 again immediately.

This is a really important realization for me. Last month that thought made me really resent running and start to burn out. Now I'm in love with it more than ever and I know that I'm running to run and not running to eat or maintain my weight. I haven't adjusted my cals because of the slight decrease in my miles, in fact, I increased them a smidge (I'm doing an experiment with my ST). So anyway hope everyone has a great weekend!

The ice on my sidewalks has transformed to puddles so I got to run outside this weekend. It's so much easier for me, even with hills and wind, since I don't clock watch and I can rock out to tunes.

Ran a short 3K yesterday and my LSD today which was 10K. No serious aches anywhere so I'm happy about that. I am going to adjust my time goal to something more realistic, if I can do 2 hours for the half I'm going to be happy with that and not shoot for 1:45 my first race. 11 weeks to go, I'm looking forward to trying out the longer distances and seeing how they feel.

I ended up in the hospital after three days of terrible heartburn/indigestion. I thought it could have to do with my heart. Thankfully it was just a bad case of acid reflux. I went back to the gym today after not running for four days. I ran on the day I had bad heartburn, but only ran 1 mile. Today I ended up doing my 4.5 km, and walked up to the 5km. I really need to start pushing up to the 5km mark. Almost there, ugh!

It's a road race. The only reason I'm even contemplating it, is that I did finish the Goofy Challenge in early January. That's where you run the Disney half marathon on Saturday, and then the Disney full marathon the next day. I did them at an easy pace, finished strong, and had a GREAT time. And that was coming off of another full marathon in September.

Since Goofy, I've continued my normal 25-30 mile weeks, with long runs of 10-14 miles. That includes 3 half marathons. So, although I haven't run LONG recently, I've got the best endurance base I've ever had. I did 12 miles Saturday and ran a fairly decent 2:22 half marathon the next day and felt just fine. I think if I take it slow, with lots of walking breaks, I should be OK. It's mostly just about moving forward for a long time -- 7-8 hours. Pacing and adequate hydration/fueling will be key. But, it definitely will be something new and different!!

1/8 - 1/4 tsp baking soda in 2-3 ounces of water = instant relief!:D I used to suffer with that...so much so (due to poor diet) that I ended up with a mild form of "gastritis" last year. I too..thought I was having a heart attack (due to the how close the stomach is to the heart...it really feels the same). The doctor wanted me to take "Prilosec" for LIFE!!! I'm convinced that doctors and pharmaceutical companies are in "bed" to push those over the counter meds. After doing some internet research...I discovered that once you start taking drugs that inhibit your "proton pumps" from excreting stomach acids (such as Prilosec), you will NEED to take this forever as it changes something in your body's natural chemistry.

Anyhoot...I figured, "heck...I ATE myself this way...I'll undo it by proper diet and exercise". And that's exactly what I did. In the meanwhile though...I did have terrible heartburn on occasion. A simple dose of inexpensive baking soda and water worked instantly to relieve the pain and now I no longer need it.

Just thought I'd share.:hug:

Hey guys! I think I can finally call myself a joyful runner! :D I've never said that before. I've been running for some time now, but I always say I don't enjoy it. The last time I ran outside was summer and 50 pounds ago. I ran outside in Winston-Salem, NC this weekend (a 7 hour trip for me). I ran 6 miles and could have kept going! I did it in an hour too, which is my best time. It felt amazing. So much better than a treadmill! Now I'm itching to map out a 6 mile route here at home and get out there.

Well done Elina!! Outside running is at least a million times more enjoyable than a treadmill. You'll have a whole new lease of running life when you get home!
I enjoy the planning of runs too and going somewhere new to run.
Just been looking for somewhere to go for my 17km scheduled run tomorrow...

I had a really good run on Saturday - managed 2.7 miles with only three walk breaks. Considering I haven't run more than about 1.5 miles (with walk breaks) since before August last year, I was pretty happy with that. I ran on a trail near my house which is evil as it's uphill the entire way out - you can run 8 miles on it and never go downhill. Of course, coming back is delightful as you can coast, but with my knee I have to be careful to keep my strides short and gentle. I ran a 13:50 pace out and 11:30 back - much better than I expected, and it was warm (74 degrees) and sunny so I was sweating up a storm.

But now I feel much better prepared for the 5k this coming Saturday. I will definitely be run-walking it as I'm doing it with a friend who's doing his first ever race - I'm excited for him! It should be perfect weather, in the 60's and sunny, and the race is a really fun one around the lake, so it's scenic. I have my sights then set on a 5k in early April, another in late April, and a 10k in late May. Am I the only geek-runner who puts all the potential races into Excel and marks them off as you do them? It's the accountant in me... :)

Jojo - I hope you're feeling better now. That sounds like a pretty unpleasant experience - I've had mild heartburn before and that's bad enough. Definitely "join" me in training - I love it when others are training as well, it makes me more motivated and gives me someone to commiserate with me when things don't work out according to the training plan!

Did my 17km tonight which is the furthest i've been for over a year! It was pretty slow, but that was part of the plan and i'm feeling a bit achy but pleased with myself! Quite a few hills thrown in there too, and warmer weather than i normally prefer, so all in all, yeah-me!

Running is good!

17K? I'm impressed. :D And I hear you on the warmer weather. I'll be complaining about that here in a few months. There's a very narrow window of between about 50 and 70 F that I'm willing to run outside. ;)

I'm thinking of heading to a county park this Saturday and running the trail there. There are hills and I've never run real hills before.

Not to brag :O but I feel so bad for all you cold weather people. It's in high 70s low 80s this week and I run outside all winter long. But don't be mad, in the summer it's 105-115 from about June to October. So I have to get my but out of bed early to run in 90+.

Anywho, I had to do yesterday's run in the pm on the treadmil because the winds were ridiculous yesterday morning. I only knocked out three due to time, but I ran hard and fast so I felt good about it.

Just trying to recover from a weekend of poor choices and get back on track.

Have a great week everyone!

MBN - 50k? Wowzamolie.

I'm supposed to be doing a half marathon on 3/20, I signed up for it last year at a highly discounted price after completion of last years race. Then, I slacked off, life happened, etc and I haven't run as much in the last six months as I planned. And now, I've been sick and haven't worked out at all for three days. I'm going to try for a run tomorrow, and a long run on Sunday. If I can make ten miles in any decent time frame I'll probably go ahead with it, otherwise I'll probably bail. Also recovering from my poor choices the last week. Argh.

Thanks for the advice. I'll have to try that baking soda natural remedy.I'm not a big fan of drugs, and am a bit worried with that the prescription she gave me was for a month. I may stop it, but I am worried about another crazy attack. I didn't do anything or eat anything out of the normal (except for some mild Thai curry a few nights..but I've eaten that before with no problems). Glad you helped your indigestion problems. I figured that all this running would help me too.

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Thanks, julesp313. Congats on the 2.7 miles! :)
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Eliana, Congrats for getting back up to enjoying running !6 miles is great. 50 pounds taken off sure have helped I bet! :)
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This thread is inspiring and awesome! You runners inspire me to keep going! I hit a milestone today.. I finally reached 5 KM! Woohoo! I have worked so hard to get to this point. I started on the C25K program late last year, but never really hit the 5km mark till now.
I finished a 5km in 44 minutes. I am quite a slow jogger, but I can work on my speed. I felt tired that last mile, but I kept thinking, 'I can do this'! Runner's high really rocks! :D

Hi everyone!

I am new to this forum, but I post on the South Beach forums quite a lot! I am also a runner and have been on and off for about 10 years (i'm 25). I am running my second half marathon on April 17th so I'm training for that at the moment. I'm aiming for a PB of under 2:15, and am running 3 times a week at the moment.

I set my limit at 3 times a week because if I get too ambitious, I don't do anything! I do 1 x 5-10k at race pace (6min/km), one 5-6km interval training (10min warm up, 1min hard - under 4:30m/km and 2 mins slow, 10min cool down) and 1 long run. I am up to 14km with my long runs, and add 1-2 km every week. Hopefully I'll be OK on race day!

I am low-carbing at the moment, which I heard is good for training your fat metabolism for long distance. I'll start adding in healthy grains a few days before the race so I can pull a few fast kms out of the bag, but until then I'm on SB phase one + fruit.

PS: about running outside, I've been running outside all winter (in -10c) because I hate gyms so much! Crazy but if you wrap up warm it's fine :-)

Oh hey! Someone else who is certifiably crazy out there! :D

I'm training for my first 50K in May, but mine will be on the trail. I've been rotating between long runs (20+), B2B medium runs (last weekend was 14 Saturday and 10 Sunday) and cut back weeks. So far so good!

Sounds like you'll be fine for your race as long as you are okay with walking and make sure you are eating/drinking enough. Are you in Florida? We just got 3 inches of new snow last night up here in the Midwest :mad:

That's awesome Trail Runner!! :D I think running on trails is MUCH more difficult than my flat pavement runs. Yes, I'm in South Florida, so in a couple more weeks, heat will definitely be a factor. There's not much shade right along the beach!! You will be much better prepared than I am, since I haven't done a 20 miler since Disney in early January. If I had planned this race (instead of registering 3 weeks out!), I would have done at least ONE 20+ miler between January and now.

I'm confident I can make the distance, but I predict a lot of walking along the way .... But hey, it will be fun anyway!!